


Three Weddings and a Show

by BriMarie



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Angry Sex, Angst, Big Red, Ex Sex, Exes to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Inspired by 4 Weddings and a Funeral, Lemon, Longing, Nini Salazar roberts - Freeform, Passionate, Pining, Smut, Yearning, high school musical the musical the series - Freeform, hsmtmts, rickini, ricky bowen - Freeform, rini - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:40:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24104557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriMarie/pseuds/BriMarie
Summary: Ricky and Nini haven't seen each other since their freshman year of college, and they thought they'd never see each other again. Boy were they wrong. Who would've predicted that they'd be invited to the same events within the same year?*Rini angst/fluff/smut*Setting: Various places in 2030
Relationships: Ricky Bowen & Nini Salazar-Roberts, Ricky Bowen/Nini Salazar-Roberts
Comments: 4
Kudos: 70





	Three Weddings and a Show

_Wedding 1- Big Red and Ashlyn_

Nini did not know what the hell she was gonna wear. 

I mean what do you wear to a wedding where you know that your ex that you may or may not have feelings for is for sure going to be present? She hasn't seen him since they broke up in freshman year of college all those years ago, and to be honest she feels like it was a mistake, but she would never admit that to anyone.

She actually hasn't seen majority of her high school classmates since graduation including Big Red and Ashlyn, so you can imagine why she was a little taken aback when she saw that she was invited. The only person she kept in contact with was Kourtney who she lived with in LA, and occasionally she'd talk to Carlos or Gina.

She had laid out four different dresses for their wedding, and couldn't decide which one she wanted Ric-, she means all her peers to see her in. She was so occupied in her own little world that she hadn't noticed her best friend walk in with a huge smirk on her face.

"Choose the purple one. You've always looked good in that. Plus, you know who always favored that color on you." She said in an all knowing tone. 

Nini rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up. The last thing I'm thinking about is what Ric- I mean you know who is gonna think." 

No part of Kourtney believed that statement. She had known about her lingering love for Ricky since the breakup back in their freshman year, but Nini wasn't aware that she was. She had found a journal that she thought was hers and ended up seeing a doodle of Ricky's name with a heart at the end of the y in fancy cursive two years after the breakup.

Five years ago, Nini had gotten shitfaced and spilled that she had still been in love with him despite how long it's been and was sure no other man could compare. She had said that she had tried to replace him, but to no avail.

There were many other times where Nini had accidentally told her that she still pined for Ricky's love that she could name, but there was no time. "Honey, when are you going to stop lying to yourself and call him? I highly doubt he stopped loving you. After all, you guys had quite the history and a love story for the ages.

Nini scoffed and shooed her away. "I don't know what you're talking about, and I highly doubt that you know who still has feelings for me. I mean after all it's been 9 years I'm pretty sure he's found some beautiful girl that likes playing video games and playing guitar just as much as he does. Also, just for that comment I'm wearing the blue dress." Nini said throwing the purple dress on the ground.

Kourtney rolled her eyes and groaned. "Fine, pretend that you don't like Ricky. Plus, you gotta stop calling him you know who like he's Voldemort or something before we go to the ceremony." Kourtney said as she walked out of her room. Nini stuck her tongue out at her behind her back. When she heard Kourtney's door close behind her, she picked the purple dress off the floor and packed it.

_A few hours later..._

Nini and Kourtney automatically regretted deciding to drive to Salt Lake City since it was a 10 hour drive to and from. She made a mental note to never be too cheap to buy plane tickets ever again, especially since she knew she had another wedding in two months here. They decided to stay in a hotel despite their families living there because honestly they didn't feel like being bothered. Plus, Kourtney had said that they might bring someone home from the wedding.

Yeah, as if. Nini hasn't been on a date in 6 years and hasn't had sex since her junior year of college. If we're talking good sex, since her freshman year with you know who. She had tried her best to try to find someone that could satisfy her needs, but it seems she's been unlucky. 

She was happy when they finally pulled up to the Hilton that they were staying in for the night. She thinks she would've combust if she had sat down in that damn car any longer. They had both stretched and gotten their stuff out of the car before plopping down on their queen beds. 

"Damn it feels good to be in a bed right now. I hate that we have to go to a dinner in three hours and leave this." Nini's smile immediately faltered when she heard her talk about the dinner party that she had totally forgotten about. 

She had realized that she had to see Ricky probably with a wedding date no doubt. She really had no idea what he truly looked like anymore. She had unfriended and unfollowed him on social media platforms after the breakup, but she admitted to occasionally checking up on his life, specifically his relationship status.

The last time she had checked his social media was two years ago when she was dared to by one of her coworkers. She had seen his profile pic which had shown he'd grown a nice face of facial hair that had aged him in a good way. He had apparently gotten his ears pierced and cut his hair a little. She still remembers how her heart skipped a beat when she saw him, and she can't imagine how she'll react when she sees him at 6 tonight.

"Hey! Girl are you good?" Kourtney had asked with concern in her voice. 

Nini shook her head to get the thoughts get out of her head. "Uh yeah totally why do you ask?" 

"Well I've been saying your name for the past minute, and you haven't responded. What's on your mind?"

Nini sighed. "Honestly, I was thinking of you know who." 

Kourtney made an "ah" noise and smirked at her. "That makes sense. You know what you're going to say to him when you see him tonight?" 

Nini hadn't even thought that far. She had totally forgot that she actually most likely had to hold a conversation with him at some point. After all, this wedding was very small and it was bound to happen since they clearly couldn't ignore their existence. 

"Oh my god, you don't know what you're going to say do you? Well at least you have something to wear that will blow him away right?" Kourtney said trying to reassure her. Nini gave her an unconfident face. Kourtney face palmed. "Girl let me see what you picked out for this dinner so I can decide whether or not to run to the mall for you." 

"Fine." Nini said softly before getting up to open her bag. She had whipped out a light tight blue spaghetti strap dress that ended at right above her knees and a pair of silver heels. Kourtney gave her a nod of approval. "Oo Neens, you gonna make some jaws drop especially Ricky's with your new body." Kourtney had said while snapping. Nini blushed.

She had finally grown into a more mature woman body since her freshman year of college. Her hips had gotten wider and her breast had gone up about two sizes. She never even noticed any of the desirable eyes that stared at her as she walked by sometimes, but Kourtney did.

"I still don't know if I'm even gonna bother to talk to him at the dinner, especially the wedding." 

"I'm pretty sure if you don't come to him, he'll go to you." 

Nini became flustered by the thought of him approaching her with his puppy dog eyes and handsome smile. She'd probably melt right there.

"I don't wanna talk about it. Let's just chill until it's time to get ready." 

Kourtney decided to leave the pushy topic alone for now and they went back to relaxing.

_Dinner Party_

It was ten minutes til the dinner started, and Nini was not mentally ready for what was to occur. She had been sitting in the car while Kourtney had decided to go in Big Red's house. She technically didn't have to be in there until 6, so she wasn't late per se. 

She felt her heart beating faster as she watched the hand on the clock move. She thought it was ridiculous that she was this stressed over a man that she hasn't seen in almost ten years. "Okay, it's 5:52 and I haven't seen him enter yet so maybe he'll either come so late that she might miss him or he skipped this part because it was a waste of his time. Yeah that sounds good. Let's go." She said to herself.

She finally worked up the nerve to get out of the car, and slowly approached the door. She knocked on the door lightly and waited impatiently. She was greeted by a very entusiastic Ashlyn who welcomed her with open arms. "Oh honey, it's so nice to finally see you get out of the car. I thought you'd never leave!" Ashlyn said. Nini awkwardly laughed at her comment and entered.

"Look who's hear everyone, Nini!" Ashlyn announced. She saw all of her former cast mates present in the living room and kitchen all waving at her with smiles. This made her feel a little better and less anxious about Ricky. Gina was the first to welcome her. 

"Oh my god, girl you look so good! I haven't seen you in centuries. How have you been?"

Nini shrugged. "Oh nothing much. I just write songs and perform in theaters in LA. It's been fun."

"Well it's nice to see you! We'll have to catch up at the wedding tomorrow." Gina said as she walked away.

Nini walked to the kitchen to grab one of the cups of wine that were resting on the counter. She didn't really want to be bothered, and so far it looked like Ricky was no where to be found. She had went to the basement where she knew everyone was not. She was just about to relax before she saw a head of curly hair staring at her like they were deer looking at headlights.

Ricky fucking Bowen.

Of course she bumps into the one person she was dreading to see the most in her peaceful place. They both had just continued to analyze each other in silence. Nini had took note of the things that changed about him over the years.

He had the same facial hair as he did two years ago, but he had gotten more muscular. Almost the same body as Brad Pitt in Fight Club. He was holding a guitar (shocker). He had seemed to have finally grown a little above 6 foot, and his hair was shorter. He was dressed extremely well, which was the most shocking part. Once she realized that she had been staring for a long time, she shook her head to snap out of it.

"Hi." He said with a poker face.

"Hi." 

There was an awkward pause before Nini decided to speak up. "Yeah I'm just gonna go." She began to walk back up the stairs until she felt his grasp on her wrist, which caused her to turn her head to him. 

"Wait."

"Why?" She asked giving him a confused look.

"Well...I just wanted to, you know, talk I guess?"

She felt her cheeks begin to heat up. "About what?"

He shrugged and awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "I don't know. Life I guess. We haven't seen each other in 9 years; figured we could catch up."

She sighed in defeat and walked right in front of him. He gave her a faint smile.

"You look really pretty." 

She felt her heart skip a beat. "What've you been up to Bowen?" She asked changing the subject so he wouldn't notice the reaction he got out of her by saying that.

"Well after we split, I entered the theater program at UCLA. Now I occasionally will work on writing songs for any theater in the genral area or local artist, but that's more of a hobby than a profession. I'm a manager of a record store in Oceanside now. What about you?"

She smiled, how crazy is it that he had a very similar job to hers in California? "Actually I also was in the theater program, but you already knew that. I also make songs for the theaters and perform in them in LA, however it's pretty much my profession."

He gave her a silent clap. "That's about what I expected from you." 

"Why do you have your guitar with you?" She pointed at the instrument.

"Oh I just brought it to practice for Miss Jenn's wedding in a few months. I'm gonna perform, but I haven't found a partner to sing it with yet."

"Wait you were invited to that too?"

He nodded. "I have to sing the song ‘Can't take my eyes off of you’ at the reception. I pretty much have it down, but a female vocalist would be nice."

"Well let me hear it."

He obliged and began playing the melody. He looked her directly in the eyes as he sang the first line.

_"You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off of you  
You'd be like heaven to touch  
I want to hold you so much"_

They didn't break eye contact as he continued to sing the song to her. At one point, it felt as if he were singing it to her. She didn't realize that she had been slowly approaching him as he sang.

_"At long last love has arrived  
And I thank God I'm alive  
You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off of you"_

He slowly began approaching her as he continued to play and he could feel his heart beat faster as he looked at her beautiful face that he hadn't seen in years. "The girl would sing this part." He said before playing.

_"Pardon the way that I stare  
There's nothing else to compare  
The sight of you leaves me weak  
There are no words left to speak  
But if you feel like I feel  
Please let me know that it's real  
You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off of you"_

He stopped playing and put his guitar down slowly. They were now inches from each other’s face. Both don't remember getting that close to each other, but right now it didn't matter. All of the lingering feelings from all of those lonely years was beginning to surface between the two. Their faces were slowly closing the space between them.

All of a sudden, the creak of the basement door interrupted, and Big Red came down half way to find them. "Hey, there you two are. We've been looking all over for you. We were about to start the games for tonight. Come on up." Big Red was always oblivious to private moments that he interrupts.

They both had jumped away from each other snapping back into reality. They both blushed and didn't look at each other. "Yeah bud we'll be right up." Ricky said. Big Red gave a thumbs up and went back upstairs. The pair looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Um you're right it does need a girl. It'd sound better. Good luck finding one, okay bye." Nini said quickly as she ran up the stairs before he could stop her again. She swore she heard him call for her, but she didn't look back. Did that really just happen? If Big Red hadn't stopped them, they most definitely wouldv'e kissed and who knows what that would've led to.

She searched the living room for Kourtney. When she spotted her, she plopped down next to her. Kourtney took one look at her friend's face and knew somnething was up. "What's wrong?" She whispered in her ear. Nini grabbed a pillow and hugged it firmly. Her answer appeared through the basement door. Nini couldn't stop staring at him, and he did the same.

When Kourtney caught what she was looking at, she immediately knew what was up. She didn't need the specifics to know why she was acting weird. No one could make Nini act like this except for Ricky Bowen. "Oh I see. You gonna tell me what exactly happened now or later?" Nini shook her head as she remained in her intense stare down with Ricky.

"I guess you'll tell me in the car." Nini nodded as a response. Nini was trying her best to figure out what emotion he was feeling right now because he was giving her a dull poker face, and yet his eyes were saying something else. This was going to be a long night, and the worst part is that she would have to see him again tomorrow. Yay.

_Two hours later_

The party had finally ended, and Nini couldn't have been happier. She was dying to get out of there before Ricky had tried to talk to her again. She has no idea what he'd even say to her after that whole mess, and she didn't want to know. He probably thought it was a mistake. 

Kourtney was currently saying goodbye to a few of the other people as Nini was impatiently waiting by the door for her to finish up. She saw a figure in the corner of her eye slowly approaching her and averted her eyes to that person. It was Ricky. He had an odd look on his face as he approached her. She felt herself panic. Luckily she had the keys to the car, so she sprinted out the door to the car before he could reach her.

She saw his head poke out of the door and look around for her, and she could see the clear confusion on his face. She locked the doors just in case he found which car she was in. She watched as he searched the perimeter and finally gave up on looking for her. She felt a weight lift off of her shoulder and calmed down.

Soon after, Kourtney came out and got in the car. "Did I seriously just watch you run away from Ricky?" Nini looked down in her lap in shame and nodded. "Are you gonna tell me what happened between you two yet?"

Nini sighed before facing her friend. "Get ready cuz it's quite the story." 

***

_Wedding Time_

Nini and Kourtney were there right on time seated on the brides side of the church. It was 2 minutes til Ashlyn would be walking down the aisle. Nini was dreading seeing Ricky again after that situation. "I can't believe you two almost kissed to one of the most romantic songs of all time.” 

"Yeah well me neither, and for the love of god please stop bringing it up!" Nini whisper yelled. Before either could say another word, the piano began to play soft music. Everyone became silent and averted their eyes to the bridesmaids and groomsmen walking together dow nthe aisle in sync. One of the groomsmen was Ricky who had walked one of Ashlyn's cousins down the aisle.

Nini's heart stopped when she saw him in his suit and tie. He looked extremely handsome, even better than he did last night. He didn't see her as she basically stared him down as he walked to his place at the front. When he got to the front, she watched as he seemed to have scanned the crowd to look for someone. When he caught her eye, he stopped and smiled at her.

Was she the one he was looking for? If so, that's kinda weird of him. He kept his eyes on her until the pianist began playing here comes the bride. Ashlyn came down the aisle in her stunning dress, and Big Red immediately began to tear up at the sight of her. Nini smiled, she hoped that one day a man would cry from pure love and happiness just by seeing her in a dress. Too bad there was no one out there that felt that way about her.

As the happy couple was saying their vows under the chuppah, Nini had taken another glance at Ricky. He had seemed to have had a sixth sense of when she was looking at him because he turned his head towards her. He gave her a small grin that made her feel butterflies in her stomach. She can't believe that this man had such an impact on her doing the most basic gestures. 

Neither had an idea on how long the other had been staring at each other, but it must’ve been a long time because they heard the sound of Ashlyn smashing a glass with her foot and the crowd applauding whilst screaming Mazel Tov. Both of them snapped out of their trance and began clapping too. Kourtney began laughing at her. "Damn girl, you two got it bad for each other."

Nini nudged her and rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up." 

The wedding was going by pretty fast, and they were already about to prepare for the hora dance. Ricky had made no advances towards Nini the entire reception, which was shocking to her yet also a relief. She couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that he didn't try to talk to her though, and she wasn't sure why. Did she want his attention?

She saw Ashlyn and Big Red sit in their designated chairs that they would be lifted up in. "Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the hora!" The DJ said as he cued the music. She watched as tall and strong men picked both of them up as others danced around them in a circle. She laughed as she watched all of the people dance and cheer on the happy couple. 

Her smile fell a little when she saw Ricky appear on the dance floor doing the dance with the others. He hadn't noticed her looking, so she took advantage of this and decided to enjoy the view. He had taken off his tuxedo blazer and was now only in his white button down and suspenders with black slacks. She had taken a mental note that his outfit was really doing his new body favors.

Suddnely, he caught her eyes and gave her the same small grin he gave her during the ceremony. She blushed and looked away due to the embarrassment of being caught in the act of ogling. The hora had ended, and an unexpected song came on. Can I Have This Dance from HSM 3 came on which threw everyone off. Of course the song that was Ricky and Nini's favorite song and choreography in the third film was played at a wedding they both were attending.

She saw all the theater kids all get excited and merge to the dance floor. She wanted to dance so bad, but the memories of her and Ricky dancing to this in her bedroom kept replaying in her head. Kourtney had signaled for her to come to the floor, but she declined. Kourtney tried her best to get her on the floor, but she just kept denying. It seemed like no one could make her budge. 

She felt a tap on her left shoulder and looked up at whoever could possibly want her attention. She gasped when she saw Ricky staring down at her with a gentle smile on his face. He reached his hand out to her as he stared deep into her eyes.

"Can I have this dance with you miss?"

"Not so sure.”

Ricky didn't give up yet. "Come on, what's the worse that can happen?"

She chuckled and took his hand. "Fine."

They both walked to the dance floor hand in hand as others looked at them with shock. 

Kourtney had fist pumped Gina while EJ angrily gave Carlos a ten for losing a bet. Nini wrapped her arms around his neck as he rested his arms around her waist. They stared into each others eyes for the millionth time today. He had rested his head on top of hers as the song went on.

"Do you remember how much we loved this song?"

She nodded. "Of course, how could I forget. We used to practice this whole dance on the top of the roof in senior year."

He smiled as he remembered how much fun that was. "I also did my promposal on that roof to this song."

"Yep, I didn't forget that either. I guess a lot of our relationship involved High School Musical for some reason."

He laughed. "It's probaby because that's what brought us back together in high school and any time we were mad at each other. It was almost theraputic to us."

She had thought about what he said and realized he was right. This musical always mended them back together regardless of how the other was feeling at the time. It wasn't always immediate, but it never failed. And it seems that it's still true even after all of these years.

"Can I ask you something?" He said. She nodded. "Why did you just run off yesterday?"

She was afraid that's what he'd ask about. She didn't want to tell him that she still had feelings for him because that'd just be downright embarassing. "Um I just have really bad anxiety with crowded areas like that." She lied. He rose a brow.

"Nini, I've known you for over two decades, and I can't remember one time when you were anxious around crowds. You were always so into being the front and center when it came to performing anything with the exception of auditions for the musical in sophomore year." Dammit, he still knew her too well. She released her arms from him and immediately missed his touch.

He seemed confused by her actions. "I'm gonna go now." She stormed off the dance floor before he could talk to her again. This time she heard his voice calling for her, but she ignored it again. She walked into an empty hallway and tried to calm down. She had heard footsteps approaching to where she was and hoped it wasn't who she thought it was.

"Nini are you here?" The voice said. She sighed recognizing the voice anywhere. "Leave me alone Ricky."

Ricky ignored her and stood in front of her. "Why do you keep running from me? What did I do?"

"I really don't want to talk about it."

He didn't back down. "You drive me crazy. You know that?"

She rolled her eyes at him."Yeah well, ditto." She retorted.

"You've been acting really weird since we saw each other in the basement, and I'm not sure why."

She looked at him in disbelief. "You've gotta be kidding me! You're so oblivious as usual Ricky. We almost kissed! Of course I flipped out!" He still didn't seem to understand.

"That would only bother you if you still liked me. Do you still like me?"

She stayed silent. There's no way in hell she'd tell him that. "I'm leaving now. Tell Kourtney and the new couple that I left early." She turned around and sprinted for the door. She decided to call a Lyft since she rode in the same car as Kourtney. Once again, she left him alone and confused.

_***  
Wedding 2- Carlos and Seb_

Nini and Kourtney were currently waiting for their friend Ashlyn to come pick them up from the airport for the Seblos wedding tomorrow. Nini was super excited to see her favorite gay couple (besides her moms of course) finally tie the knot. 

The only thing she didn't look forward to was seeing Ricky again after the incident they had at the wedding two months ago. She had avoided all contact with him more than usual. When they saw a familiar green Chevy appear, they sprung up with excitement. Ashlyn got out of the car and they all squealed while jumping up and down.

"Hey girls, long time no see! How have the past two months been?" Ashlyn asked as she popped her trunk for them.

They both shrugged as they set their things in the back. "Nothing too exciting for me. My job is pretty bland unlike Ms. Hollywood over here." Kourtney said. Nini rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Oh hush, your job is fun too."

"Child, theater is way more fun than sitting at a desk all day for a manager who doesn't appreciate you. Plus, don't try to downplay the fact that you literally were in Wicked!"

Ashlyn gasped and rested a hand on her heart. “You were in Wicked? As in the iconic Wicked play that the iconic Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoworth were in? Who did you play?"

"I played Elphaba."

Ashlyn gasped again. "Girl tell me all about it on the ride back."

They all hopped into her car and headed to Big Red and Ashlyn's residence. They had moved into a homey condo that could fit four.

"You guys will stay in the guest room. Our other room is full of boxes, so you'll have to share a bed sorry."

Kourtney waved her off. "It's fine. It's not like it's our first time sharing a bed."

"Great, Red and I are going to be out for the next few hours, so here's a spare key to the house and the key to the extra car if you need to get around. You need anything else?"

They both shook their heads. "Thanks for everything." Nini said as Ashlyn quickly left the room. They both plopped down on the bed and sighed. "Sooooooo Ricky..." Kourtney said teasingly. Nini turned her head and mean mugged her.

"Don't you start with me. It's bad enough that I'll have to see him tomorrow after 2 months."

"Honey, you need to figure out what you're gonna say to him, and whether you like to admit it or not, he deserves an apology for you flaking on him three times within 24 hours with no real reason!"

Nini stuck her tongue out at her like a child. "I don't have to if I try to successfully avoid him this time." She said. Kourtney rolled her eyes. "You can't keep this up. You know we're gonna see him again in three more months for Miss Jenn's wedding! May as well make amends." Kourtney advised. Nini groaned obnoxiously loud and rolled off the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"Anywhere where you aren't." Nini said and closed the door behind her.

Kourtney rolled her eyes. "Lord Jesus I pray that you will get through her thick skull." 

_***  
Wedding Day_

Once again, Kourtney and Nini were on time. They had all rode in the same car with Big Red and Ashlyn to the ceremony. Ashlyn had warned Red multiple times that he couldn't bring up Ricky's name at all unless it was necessary. Nini felt her palms sweating as they approached the church. When they finally got there, Nini jumped out of the car so that she could breathe.

"Nini, are you okay?"

Nini nodded. "Yeah just a little nervous that's all."

“You'll be alright."

Nini saw a familiar head of hair in the corner of her eye on the sidewalk of the church. She looked across the street and saw the one person she really didn't want to see right now, and to make it worse he had a date.

She felt her heart break as she analyzed the beautiful woman he was holding hands with. She was a brunette about her height with an hour glass. She had crystal blue eyes and was wearing a beautiful blue skin tight dress. Nini was no competition. Kourtney caught her sight and gave her a sympathetic look.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry." She rubbed her back soothingly. Nini gently pushed her arm away. "It's fine. It's not like I had feelings for him anyways." She lied. Nini fixes herself up and walked into the chapel with as much pride as she had. Kourtney sighed. "This is gonna be a long wedding."

When they got inside, Nini made sure to sit somewhere where she most likely didn't have to see Ricky and his date together. She chose the third row to the front because Ricky didn't like sitting in the front at any event, so he most likely wouldn't sit anywhere near here.

So you can imagine her surprise when she saw the couple plop directly in front of her ignoring that she was there. Nini felt her face turn red of anger as she watched the couple in front of her mingle and laugh under their breath. Occasionally, Ricky would whisper something in his date's ear that would make her giggle. It made Nini wanna throw up.

When she realized she had enough, she pecked Ricky on the shoulder aggressively. He turned around and looked at her with a shit eating grin on his face."Oh hey Nini, I didn't see you there. How are you on this lovely evening?”

She glared at him. "Oh save it _Richard_. Can you guys move? You're blocking my way."

"Well _Nina_ , how about you just move then if we're in your way."

"Well _Richard_ , I would but I was here first and I always sit near the front row unlike you so move!" She whisper yelled.

Ricky turned fully around to face her with anger clearly written all over his face. “Well _Nina_ , that's not exactly my problem now is it? Enjoy the ceremony." Ricky said with a tone full of toxin and turned around.

She groaned and flipped the bird at him while he wasn't looking. She had completely forgotten that Kourtney was sitting right beside her and had witnessed their entire encounter.

"That was the most childish thing I've ever seen."

"Oh hush."

Soon after, the pianist began to play.

***

The ceremony was lovely and the speeches at the beginning of the reception were truly tear jerking. It was the perfect wedding for the most perfect couple. The happy couple had surprised the crowd by announcing that they planned on adopting when they can afford their own place. Everyone was super excited for them.

When it was time to dance, the lights had gone dimmer and there was some smoke from a smoke machine. It looked like a dance club which was perfect for Seblos. Of course they played some High School Musical songs except this time Nini was not offered a dance by Ricky because Ricky was too busy cuddling up and giving heart eyes to his model of a date.

Nini really wanted to enjoy this night, but she couldn't help but feel a little bothered by that damned couple. When Breaking Free came on, she saw Ricky and his date get up from their table and begin dancing and singing along. Watching them dance to a song that they sang together in their first musical was a punch to the face.

She decided that enough was enough and she stormed out of the ballroom just so she didn't have to see what was going on. This time she didn't leave the reception since she genuinely wanted to stay. She just had to recollect her thoughts and wait out the high school musical songs so she wouldn't get flashbacks of her former relationship.

She found a ballroom down the hall that was completely desolate with only the moon giving the room light. It was peaceful and perfect for her. She walked around the place and was so busy admiring the architecture around her that she didn't even hear the door of the room close behind her.

"Why'd you run away this time?" She heard a familiar male voice say behind her.

She turned herself around to look at the culprit and she rolled her eyes. "I think you know why Richard." She said with poison in her voice. This didn't seem to intimidate him as he slowly approached her.

"Well Nina, I think it's because you're jealous of my date." He said with a smug look on his face.

Oh how she desired to smack it right off of him. "And what makes you say that you arrogant prick? You just assumed that I was gonna be jealous cuz you brought some model to a wedding you knew I'd be at cuz if that's what you're thinking, you'd be dead wrong mister!" She yelled back at him.

He laughed with no humor. "You're so full of shit you know that?"

She scoffed at him. "Excuse me?!" She strutted to him out of pure anger. They met half way in front of an old table and were currently staring at each other with so much hostility. 

"If you had just talked to me two months ago about the incident that, by the way wasn't all that bad then, we wouldn't have this problem right now." He yelled at her.

"Oh like you're the king of communication Ricky! You were the main reason for both of our break ups remember?!" She yelled. He groaned.

"Oh not this ancient history again. Yeah, yeah I didn't contact you as much when we went off to college, but so what? That happens to everyone. I mean none of the theater kids talk like we used to and I know that's sad, but that's a part of growing up! I hate that we broke up because I loved you so much Nini. God I loved you like crazy. If I could go back in time and change some things so that we could still be together, I would!" He yelled.

For the first time in a while, she was truly left speechless. She wasn't ready for him to say that at all. They both were breathing really hard and their intense stare down quickly turned into desire. In a blink of an eye, he was smashing his lips onto hers.

She had to get on her tippy toes to even reach his lips since he had grown so much and they both were running their hands all over each other. He picked her up from the front and carried them to the closest table in the ballroom and rested her on top of it. He made a stream of hot and heavy kisses all along her neck, face, and collarbone.

She moaned quietly as he kissed everywhere where there was open skin. She had always loved when he did that, and he knew that. He kissed back up to her face and planted hot and wet kisses on her lips. She reciprocated by inserting her tongue in his mouth and he did the same.

They only stopped when they had to stop for air and he rested his head on top of hers. "God I can't stand you sometimes."

He smirked. "No one drives me crazy like you."

He picked her back up from the table and went to the nearest wall. He pinned her arms above her head against the wall as he kissed her passionately.

Her legs were wrapped around his torso for support which was good for her because she felt her limbs turn into jelly. He stopped for a second to unzip the back of her dress and yank it off as if it were nothing. She was only left in her garter belt, thong, and heels. He had smirked when he realized she hadn't worn a bra.

"My god." He said as he looked at her much more mature body. He definitely doesn't remember some parts of her looking like this from 9 years ago, but that's to be expected. I mean hell he has definitely changed a lot physically since then. "Stop ogling me perv." He met her gaze and smiled.

"What I can't enjoy the view?"

His comment made her blush. "Just take me already." She demanded. She knew that he found it hot to be ordered what to do during sex.

“Yes ma'am."

He lifted her higher so that her breast can be directly in front of his mouth. She sighed blissfully as she felt his lips latch on her nipple sucking it hard at first and then softly.

He twisted the left nipple as he sucked the other. She had always been nipple sensitive. Since she hadn't had sex in so long, everything was so intense. "Mm." She let out as she rested her head on the wall. When he decided he wanted more, he took her off the wall and brought her back to the table. 

"Take off your thong." He ordered in a low tone. She usually hates listening to him, but she was so far gone that she didn't even mind obeying. She practically ripped it off and threw it somewhere. She watched as he took off everything except his underwear. This was her first time looking at his bare body since freshman year and my god was he a fine specimen to admire.

He pulled up a chair and placed her legs around his head. He pulled her closer to his face and rested a singular thumb on her clit. She began squirming. She couldn't believe how hypersensitive she was right now. He wasn't even doing it fast yet and she was already about to lose her mind.

"Fuck, Ricky..." She moaned.

“God I haven't had you in so long. I'm kind of excited to get another taste." His mouth rested on her core and she thought she saw heaven itself when he inserted his tongue on her most sensitive area. He always has been extremely good at cunnilingus, which is something she admitted to missing.

He began flicking his tongue in the way that she liked. His muscle memory from the many other times they made love definitely helped him please her. He watched as she came undone with every lick and he was afraid he'd bust right there at the sight of her, but he held back. He decided to insert a digit into her to loosen her up a bit. The moan that came out of her mouth when he inserted his index was a noise he hoped he'll never forget.

He started slow but then began to speed up his pace with his fingers and tongue matching a certain rhythm. "Oh my god! Fuck..." She cried out. Her face began to scrunch up which he remembered meant she was gonna cum soon. He didn't want that to be the way she came so he unattached himself. 

He chuckled as he watched her face change from pure satisfaction to agitated. He picked her up from the table and placed her in front of him. She looked down and noticed his enormous boner through his briefs and smirked. She rested a hand on it and began stroking it under the seem. She forgot how large and girthy he was. His nails went slightly into her back as she stroked him. Her cold hands sent a shivering sensation up his spine. 

"How do you like it?" She asked with a smug look on her face.

"Fuck Nini, I want you."

He gave her a few passionate kisses that felt different than the ones from earlier. He spun her around and bent her over the table. He dropped his briefs to the floor and placed himself at her entrance while bending over her body and resting his head in the crook of her neck.

"Ready?" He whispered into her ear. His voice sent shivers down her spine in the best way possible. She nodded. He slowly inserted himself into her and they both made loud moans as they became one. They both had forgotten what each other felt like and how damn good it was to mate with someone you care about deeply.

"God you feel so good Nini." He whispered into her ear. She grabbed his hands that were sprawled out in front of him as he thrusted into her. She tried her best to contain her moans, but it was hard to do when he kept hitting her g spot with every thrust. He started off slow until they both got used to each other again.

He put her left leg on the table and rested his left leg on a chair so he can reach a certain angle. He inserted himself again making both of them gasp at the amazing feeling. This time he started off fast. The room was filled with a mix of the noises of their moans, lustful cries, and their bodies slapping together. Nini felt herself going crazy with every single pump she received and wasn't sure if she'd last any longer. 

30 minutes have passed, and they were still going. They didn't even care that people could've possibly been looking for them. He had her on the wall, the tables, the floor, and they're currently fucking in front of the window. He felt himself beginning to come to an orgasm, so he thrusted a little harder to speed up the process.

"Oh Nini, I'm gonna..." The pure bliss was taking over, and he couldn't even finish his statement. "Come with me. I'm almost there." She said. He put his left hand on her left breast and his right on her clit as he rested his head on the crook of her neck leaving wet kisses. She moaned as he multitasked on her. He didn't think he could last any longer with the way she was moaning and screaming his name.

"Babe, I'm gonna cum."

When he heard that, he sped up his fingers on her clit so she could come undone while he was inside of her. He felt her juices release on top of him. He pulled out before he would come in her and began jerking off. Suddenly, she was on her knees with him in her mouth. She had swallowed everything he had, and it was one of the best feelings he's had in a while.

They both collapsed on the floor trying to catch their breath. Ricky was the first person to come back from their sex high and looked over at her. "So what've you been up to in the past two months?" He asked jokingly.

She slapped him playfully and began laughing. "We should get dressed. I'm pretty sure someone has been looking for us by now." She said getting up from her spot. He sighed and followed her.

They both watched as the other got dressed. He wasn't sure how they were gonna get passed this. They had just had the best sex they've had in literal years. "So what does this make us now?" He asked. She shrugged. "Civil." That wasn't the answer he was expecting, but it was better than being angry at each other for months.

"I'll take that." He opened the door to peek outside to see if anyone was walking by. Luckily, there wasn't. "The coast is clear." They both exited the room, but before she could walk off any further, Ricky had grabbed her by the waist and turned her around to face him. She was thrown off by his gesture.

Before she could talk, he planted one long loving kiss on her. The kiss lingered when they let go, and they both gazed into each others eyes. Nini has felt a shift in their relationship after this whole thing, but especially after this final kiss. They heard the door for the ballroom that the wedding was occurring in open and Kourtney had a concerned look on her face as she grazed the hall.

She made a face of relief when she saw the two beside each other. "Thank god! We all thought you guys were snatched up or something. Ricky your date has been looking for you."

That comment seemed to have brought Nini back into reality. Oh right he brought a super hot date.

"You should probably get back."

He gave her his signature puppy dog eyes and moved a strand of hair from her face. "Are you sure?"

“Of course, your date is waiting on you." 

He sighed and began walking away from her. She began missing him more the more he distanced himself from her.

After the reception was over, Nini had went over to Carlos and Seb to congratulate them before leaving. She had bumped into Ms. Jenn on the way out and they began talking. "Oh hi there sweetie! I was just about to try and find you."

Nini looked at her weird. “Really, what for?"

“Well you see here I need a female vocalist for my wedding in a few months to do a duet with Ricky and I remember how you two sounded so damn good together back in high school. It comes with pay. Are you in?"

Nini began blushing at the thought of hanging out with Ricky after that incredible session they had an hour ago. She wanted to hang out with him more often and for Ms. Jenn to have the best wedding ever. "You know what? Sure why not?"

Ms. Jenn clapped and jumped up and down. “Yay! The song is Can't take my eyes off of you and it's the acoustic version. Make sure you're at rehearsals the day before and practice with Ricky as much as needed to make it perfect. I believe in you two! Okay now chau!" She said blowing kisses as she ran off with her fiancé. 

She looked over at where Ricky was sitting and was shocked to see him staring at her with the most intense stare she's ever seen. He gave her a smile and a wink that made her legs begin to quiver. She took out her cell phone and unblocked his number. She began texting him.

_N: Guess we're partners for Ms. Jenn's wedding_

She watched as he checked his phone and was shocked to see who it was. He smiled as he read the message.

_R: Maybe I can come over to your place in Cali for a weekend so we can practice._

She blushed and crossed her legs. The thought of him staying with her drove her insane.

_N: I'll consider it._

_R: Soooooo that's a yes?_

Nini chuckled.

_N: No, that's a maybe that will most likely end up being a yes._

_R: Good enough for me. I'll stop by in two weeks. Can't wait to see you ;)_

_N: You too Wildcat._

Nini ended the conversation there and walked to Kourtney at the entrance. "Ready?"

Nini took one more look at Ricky and smiled. "Yeah I think I finally am." 

On the car ride back to Red and Ashlyn's place, all she could think about was Ricky. And to think she planned on ignoring him at this wedding. If there was one thing tonight has taught her, it was that no one on earth had the power to make Nini feel that way. There was no if, ands, or buts about it.

She was still in love with him.

***

_Two weeks after the Seblos Wedding_

Nini was internally freaking out in her bedroom. In just a few hours, Ricky would be knocking on her door to stay for a day to work on their duet. She had already informed Kourtney on everything that occurred at the wedding. 

Kourtney had gotten the idea of purposely leaving for the weekend so that they could be alone to "practice." Nini didn't believe that story, but to be honest she was glad that she wouldn't be there interrupting them. 

She had been stress cleaning her apartment making sure everything appeared neat for him. She's never been this stressed over a man coming over to see her in her life. She even got her hair and nails done the day before he was supposed to arrive. 

She felt a bush in her back pocket and jumped. She checked who it was and smiled when she saw it was Ricky.

_R: Hey Nini, I'm parked. Coming up soon. :)_

She felt a wave of excitement rush over her. She hasn't been this excited to see him in years. 

_N: I'll be waiting near the door for you._

She quickly ran to the closest mirror to check her hair and makeup. Once she was satisfied, she smiled of approval. "Looking sharp Salazar-Roberts." She said to herself. She heard a gentle knocking at the door and practically jumped from excitement.

She had to calm herself down by doing Sharpay's warm ups before she answered the door. She opened the door and peeked her head out to make sure it was him. He gave her a goofy smile. "You gonna let me in, or do I have to earn my right to enter?" He asked jokingly. She giggled.

"Hm I've decided to be nice and just let you in." She opened the door wider for him to enter, and he walked in.

"Where should I put my stuff?"

"You can put it in my room over there. I'll be sleeping in Kourtney's while you're here." She noticed how his face looked a little disappointed by her words, but decided to ignore it.

"You have a nice place here. I can't imagine how much an LA apartment must cost. I guess the theater pays well."

"Yeah well it does, but you should know that. Don't you do theater at Oceanside too?" 

"Yeah, but it's no LA I'll tell you that. I only do a few shows here and there. I mostly just write songs and make the melodies. But now that you bring it up, I do happen to be playing a character in a little musical called the Greatest Showman. Maybe you've heard of it. I don't know. It doesn't seem like your style." He said sarcastically.

She gasped loudly and slapped his arm playfully. "Shut the fuck up! No way! I would love to play in the Greatest Showman! You know that's one of my favorites of all time. Who would've thought the guy who got us kicked out of the theater all those years ago would end up starring in the play?"

He laughed at her reaction. "Yeah it's kinda ironic isn't it? I'm playing Phillip Carlyle." He said nonchalantly.

"Ricky oh my god. That's amazing; I'm so proud of you! You must have some weird thing for performing Zac Efron lead roles." She jumped up and gave him a tight hug. He rested his head in the crook of her neck and hugged her back just as tight. "I wanna see you perform. When and where is it?" 

"A month and a half after Ms. Jenn's wedding at the Oceanside theater."

"I'll be there."

They both got lost in each other's eyes for a moment before Nini let him go. "Um but yeah, uh we should get started on the song."

"Yeah you're probably right. I'll just go put my stuff down." She watched as he entered her room and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

She sat on the couch and waited for him. He came back out with his guitar ready. He sat right beside her and faced her way. "Alright so you already know how the song goes, so I'm not that concerned about either of us forgetting the lyrics. My only worry is sticking with the acoustic version since we're not used to hearing it."

She nodded. "I still have the lyrics printed out for us just in case though. I'm ready when you are."

He began to play the melody slowly and she began to have flashbacks of that time he played this in Big Red's basement. Looking back on it, she felt really stupid for running away like a child. 

"Okay I'm gonna sing the first stanza and then you the next, and we'll sing the chorus and the last two stanzas together." He said. She nodded again. 

_"You're just too good to be true  
I can't take my eyes off you  
You'd be like heaven to touch  
I wanna hold you so much  
At long last love has arrived  
And I thank God I'm alive  
You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off you"_

She got lost in his eyes again and felt her heart thump loudly in her chest. 

_"Pardon the way that I stare  
There's nothing else to compare  
The sight of you leaves me weak  
There are no words left to speak  
But if you feel like I feel  
Please let me know that is real  
You're just too good to be true  
I can't take my eyes off you"_

She sang lightly. He smiled at her and mouthed the words good job to her. 

_"I love you baby  
And if it's quite all right  
I need you baby  
To warm the lonely nights  
I love you baby  
Trust in me when I say_

_Oh pretty baby  
Don't bring me down I pray  
Oh pretty baby  
Now that I've found you stay  
And let me love you, baby  
Let me love you"_

They both sang in perfect harmony, and he stopped playing. "You sound beautiful Neens.” 

She blushed and nudged his arm. "Your singing voice has somehow become more pleasant to listen to than before. Have you been training?"

He shook his head. "No, not professionally. I just will sing in my room as I write songs for people. Maybe I managed to better myself by doing it so much."

She rested her palm on his thigh. "Well you sound amazing Ricky."

They had another moment where they looked at each other except this time they scooted closer together to close the gap between them.

He rested his palm on her face and put gentle kisses all along her face until he finally reached her lips. They were a lot more calm and collected than the last time they were intimate. He put his guitar aside and she climbed into his lap. He rested his hands on her hips to place her over his groin.

He looked up at her and smiled softly. "Pretty." Is the only word he could get out as he admired her features. She placed her lips on his as he slowly rubbed his hand up and down her back. She released her lips from his as she kissed his neck similar to the way he did to her two weeks ago.

When she began to suck, she heard him let out a blissful sigh. Her muscle memory reminded her that he liked to be sucked on sensitive areas like his neck. Speaking of sensitive areas, she felt something hard and growing in between her legs. She didn't really have the chance to return the favor he gave her on that ballroom table at the wedding.

She hopped off of his lap and got on her knees. She spread his legs apart and began undressing him from waste down. When she slid down his briefs and saw him bare, she smiled. She placed her hand on his shaft and rested her mouth on his tip. She heard him make a grunt and he shifted a little at the sensation.

She soon took him entirely in her mouth which made him let out a loud moan. She began to bob her head on his dick slowly. He grabbed her ponytail and began guiding her to the rhythm he liked, which she didn't mind. This went on for a while and both wouldn't have this any other way. Ricky felt himself about to cum so he gently removed himself from her mouth. She looked up at him confused.

"Can we go in your bedroom instead?" She smiled, grabbed his hand, and lead them to her room. 

***

Time had passed on really fast that day. They had practiced maybe four times and had sex in between a lot of those practices. They were getting their work done, but also satisfying each other like no one else could. They were currently laying naked in her bed in comfortable silence. 

Ricky was playing his guitar lightly playing random tunes out of boredom as she watched. "I think we have the song down packed by now."

She nodded. "Agreed. I don't think we need anymore practice."

He looked at her with sad eyes. "No? That sucks. I enjoyed spending time with you."

"Was it because of the sex on the side with practice?"

He gave her a hurt expression. "How could you say that? It's more than that."

She sat up from her position to look at him better. "More than that?"

He looked at her with an are you kidding me face. "Nini, you can't possibly be that dense."

She was taken aback by his words. "What do you mean?”

He sighed and put his guitar to the side. "Nini, you'd have to be blind to not realize what I feel for you. I thought I was being obvious, but I guess not."

"W-What?!" Is all she could say. He rolled his eyes and grabbed both of her shoulders. 

"Nini, I love you. I never stopped loving you."

Suddenly, she froze and stared at him with a shook expression on her face. "I wanted to say something to you multiple times during the years but haven't had the balls. Plus, it's not like you made it easy for me when you blocked me on everything."

She was still speechless and stuck in that position. "Well you gotta say something." Suddenly, it felt like they were in the summer of 2019 again, and she was in Ricky's position when she confessed to him.

"Oh." 

She began to mentally kick herself for not saying anything else. She was getting strong Deja Vu. "Oh? Is that all you have to say?"

She didn't answer and tried to avoid eye contact. He released her and got out of the bed. He grabbed all of his clothes and packed his guitar. 

"Where are you going?"

He gave her a side eye as he put on his shoes. "Anywhere but here. Maybe it was a mistake coming here. We can practice the song again at the rehearsal, but we don't have to do it anytime in between. We sound fine enough." He packed all his belongings and began walking out of her door.

She shot up out of bed and wrapped the comforter around herself as she watched him walk towards the door. "Ricky..." Is all she could get out. He stopped for a second, but he didn't turn around to look at her.

"Bye Nina." He opened the door and left.

She didn't even have to ask if he was coming back. She already knew her answer. She dropped to the floor and began crying. She felt so helpless and so stupid.

"Me too."

***

_Wedding 3 Rehearsal_

The rehearsal was perfect and Nini believes that everything will go smoothly. However there was this one little problem, and this problem was named Ricky. They had went over the song together twice during rehearsal, but didn't talk at all before or after performing.

She knew that she was in the wrong this time and didn't even try to act like he did anything. All she had to say was three simple words. It's ironic actually that about ten years ago they broke up because he couldn't say these words.

Ms. Jenn had noticed the tension between the two and approached Nini while Ricky packed up his belongings. "Hey sweetheart, you did great, but I couldn't help but notice some hostility between you two. Is everything alright?"

Nini shook her head and felt tears well up in her eyes. “I messed up."

Ms. Jenn wrapped her into a hug. "What happened?"

Nini rubbed her nose. "I couldn't say I love you for some reason."

"I'm assuming he didn't take it well."

"I said oh."

"Yikes, that's pretty bad."

"He hates me now." She sobbed.

“No honey he could never hate you. You guys were meant to be together. That's why I had you perform a duet."

"You think so?"

“I know so. Now go and try to get yourself together. We got a big day tomorrow. You're gonna be great. As the iconic Doris Day said and I quote, Qué sera, sera!" Ms. Jenn said in a gentle voice as she strutted away leaving Nini to her thoughts.

_***  
Wedding 3- Ms. Jenn_

She took her advice and got herself together for the performance. Today was not about her. The actual ceremony of getting married went by in a flash and sooner or later the reception came along.

Just like every other wedding this year, Ms. Jenn had high school musical playing. This time Nini decided to dance with the rest of the crew, but every once in a while she'd glance at Ricky who was dancing with Ashlyn and Big Red. 

There were a few times where she wanted to go over there and ask him to dance with her, but she chickened out. Time had passed by and her performance was coming soon. She felt her hands begin to sweat as she waited for the announcer to introduce her and Ricky to the stage.

Ms. Jenn had grabbed Ricky and put him next to where Nini was sitting. "You guys sit together until you're called up, which should be sometime in the next 5 minutes." Ms. Jenn walked off quickly before either could say anything else. Ricky looked at her for a second before plopping down beside her.

"Hey." She said trying to lighten the mood. He didn't even bother to look at her. He just gave her a nod and played on his phone. She sighed in defeat. "Okay then." Those were the longest five minutes of her life. She was actually relieved when the announcer finally motioned for them to come forward.

"Alright ladies and gentleman, boys and girls we have something special for y'all tonight. A very special duet performed by very special people. Give it up for Ricky Bowen and Nini Salazar-Roberts performing Can't take my eyes off of you!" The announcer said. 

The crowd clapped and whistled as they both got on the stage. They stood pretty close to each other and the announcer placed a mic in front of Ricky and gave a wireless mic to Nini. "Good luck kids." The announcer said before running off the stage. 

She looked at Ricky and was shocked to see him staring back at her. This time she couldn't tell what he was thinking and she's pretty sure he purposely made an unreadable expression so she couldn't guess. 

When the crowd's cheering died down, they both took a deep breath and nodded at each other. Ricky began playing the sweet melody. Nini began to feel nervous so she looked at Ricky instead of the crowd and felt calm despite their current situation.

_"You're just too good to be true  
I can't take my eyes off you  
You'd be like heaven to touch  
I wanna hold you so much  
At long last love has arrived  
And I thank God I'm alive  
You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off you"_

He sang as he looked into her eyes. She still couldn't decipher what he was thinking and it was driving her crazy.

_"Pardon the way that I stare  
There's nothing else to compare  
The sight of you leaves me weak  
There are no words left to speak  
But if you feel like I feel  
Please let me know that is real  
You're just too good to be true  
I can't take my eyes off you"_

After she sang her part, she slowly approached him and he didn't try to resist her closeness, so she took it as a green light.

_"I love you baby  
And if it's quite all right  
I need you baby  
To warm the lonely nights  
I love you baby  
Trust in me when I say  
Oh pretty baby  
Don't bring me down I pray  
Oh pretty baby  
Now that I've found you stay  
And let me love you, baby  
Let me love you"_

She noticed that he started to become more alive as they sang together. She wasn't sure if it was because he was into the song or if he was finally becoming comfortable around her. Either way she was happy his hostility had decreased.

_"You're just too good to be true  
I can't take my eyes off you  
You'd be like heaven to touch  
I wanna hold you so much  
At long last love has arrived  
And I thank God I'm alive  
You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off You"_

Now they were facing each other fully. Her cheeks were rosy from the intensity of his stare and she noticed he finally was starting to show how he was feeling in that moment.

_"I love you baby  
And if it's quite all right  
I need you baby  
To warm the lonely nights  
I love you baby  
Trust in me when I say_

_Oh pretty baby  
Don't bring me down I pray  
Oh pretty baby  
Now that I've found you stay  
Oh pretty baby  
Trust in me when I say  
And let me love you baby, let me love you"_

They were both left breathless and trapped in their own little world. They didn't even hear the crowd giving them a standing ovation as they looked into each other's eyes. She swore she saw his lips curve into a small smile.

They were interrupted by the announcer coming between them and taking their mics. "Wow that was amazing! Give it up for these two!" The announcer said. The duo looked at the crowd and waved. They both got off the stage and were lead into the hallway. 

"You did amazing tonight." Nini said.

Ricky gave her a polite grin. "Thanks you too. I'll see you around." He said nonchalantly. She watched as he walked away and all she wanted to do was pounce on him and tell him that she loved him too and that they could move past this mess, but she didn't.

This time he had left her alone and confused. 

_***_  
The Show 

Ricky felt extremely nervous.

He hadn't starred in a musical number since high school and this was a huge step up from High School Musical in a high school theater. He wasn't concerned he'd forget anything, he just had really bad jitters as most people had before a show. He usually had a certain 5'5 brunette by his side to calm his nerves, but due to certain circumstances, he can't.

He had never told anyone that he used his necklace he received from their first high school musical play together when he felt nervous or upset even after the break up. Luckily, he didn't forget to wear it today. He fiddled with it as he looked over a few more lines.

"Alright everyone let's get into place! The show starts in 5 minutes, 5 minutes! The casting director for the Greatest Showman is in the audience and the show needs to be perfect!" His director yelled. All of the cast and crew scurried to their spots as Ricky just gazed into the mirror continuing to fiddle with the necklace. He sighed sadly.

"Bowen, get your ass on stage. Your scene pops up sooner than you think."

Ricky waved his hands at him. "Yeah, yeah dude I'll be there." Ricky said passively.

“I swear if you weren't such a valuable asset to this set, I would've fired you by now." The director said walking away. Ricky rolled his eyes and walked on the stage.

_Many scenes later..._

The play had gone by just as well as they had practiced. Ricky was just in the middle of the choreography of the reprise of the song "The Greatest Show" towards the end of the play when he saw a glimpse of a familiar silhouette of a woman. He continued to dance and sing as he was supposed to, but still tried to make out the woman he was more than sure he knew.

Once there was more light on the crowd, his eyes widened at the sight of the woman who was sitting in the third row looking at him with an amazed face. How had he not noticed that she was there before? Maybe it was for the best that he didn't notice because it could've put him off his game.

They accidentally lock eyes as he's performing and she gives him an apologetic smile. She slowly lifts her matching necklace to show that she indeed still wears it and was thinking of him. He found himself smiling and blushing. He averted his eyes so he couldn't get distracted again.

The curtain came down and the crowd had made an uproar. The announcer appeared from behind the curtain with a mic ready to introduce the actor. "Wasn't that amazing? Let's give a round of applause for the incredible cast and crew." The man said.

Ricky patiently waited to be called from behind the curtain. When he finally heard his name, he ran from behind the curtain. He was pleased to be greeted with a standing ovation and cheers. He loved all of the praise for his hard work, but he was only looking for one person in the crowd. When he didn't see her, he thought maybe he had imagined her because he missed her so much or maybe she left.

His smile faltered a little and he made one final wave at the crowd. He went back to his dressing room and was shocked to see a man and woman standing at his door. "Hi, you must be Richard Bowen." The man said reaching his hand out to him. Ricky was skeptical but decided to take his hand and shake it.

"I am."

"Sorry this must seem so random and weird for you since I gave no one a real warning I'd be coming backstage. I'm Bernard Telsey and this is my lovely wife Anne. I'm the casting director for the movie The Greatest Showman. Perhaps you've heard of me?" 

Ricky's eyes practically popped out of his head. "Oh my god, yes I know who you are. Sorry I've never seen a picture of you before. What can I do for you?" Ricky asked with concern. Bernard laughed whole heartedly along with his lovely wife.

"Actually Ricky, I'm the one that should be asking you that. I'm interested in casting you for a role in the play Hairspray in LA. Auditions are in two months, but I'll put in a good word for you. I get strong Link Larkin vibes from you. How does that sound Richard?"

Ricky was speechless; was this actually happening right now? Somebody pinch him because he must be dreaming. "That sounds incredible sir! I'd be stupid to turn down this opportunity! Thank you so much!" They both reached their hands to each other and shook hands.

"Fantastic, I'll inform the casting director to look for you. Here's my number if you need me. You were amazing out there kid. I haven't seen someone play Carlyle so well since Zac. I look forward to seeing your work." Bernard walked away with his wife. He watched as they both turned into dots.

He entered his empty dressing room and spun around in his chair. "Yes!" He yelled fist pumping the air. He calmed down after a while and his mind began to wonder. He immediately regretted looking into the mirror because he caught sight of his necklace and began thinking of her. He began fiddling again.

She would be ecstatic to hear about him playing yet another Zac Efron role. He heard a light knock at his door.

"Come in."

He didn't even bother looking at who entered as he was too occupied with his necklace. "You were great out there Wildcat." He heard a familiar female voice say behind him. 

He quickly averted his eyes to the woman and smiled. "It is you." He said so quietly it came out almost like a whisper. 

"The one and only." She said as she slowly approached him.

He got out of his seat and met her half way. "Why are you here Nini?"

She shrugged. "I just couldn't miss the opportunity to see you perform in my favorite musical."

He looked down at her neck and noticed that she indeed was wearing the necklace and smiled.

There was a moment of silence between them as they just stared at each other. He was beginning to get deja vu of their high school play in junior year again except the roles were reversed. "That's not why you're actually here." He said already knowing her way too well for his own good. She sighed and nodded her head.

"You'd be right about that." She reached for her necklace and raised it off of her collarbone. "Ricky, I'm here to own up to my cowardness that night at my place all those months ago."

"Nini it's fine."

She rose her hand to make him stop talking. "Ricky this will go by a lot more smoothly if you don't intervene okay." He nodded and signaled for her to continue.

"I also have blamed you for our second breakup, but looking back at it, I was also part of the problem. Communication goes both ways and I got too busy with my art that I had left you in the dust. At the time, it seemed easier to blame all of the break up on you when in reality it was both of us. Also, I have no idea why I blocked you out of my life completely because god I was so alone and lost without you for 9 whole years. Sure I had Kourtney, but she's no you. You make me complete Ricky. And the thing I'm most sorry for is not saying I love you too when you were at my apartment. I didn't think I deserved your affection after putting you through so much pain and heartache over the years. God Ricky I'm so sorry."

She had tears rolling down her face when she finally concluded and he was stunned. He didn't know what exactly to say to this sudden confession, so he did what he always did best. He pulled her close and wiped away her tears. He looked her deep in her eyes and wiped a loose hair away from her face.

"I love you too freak."

That comment had made her laugh and she brought his lips down to hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her as close as possible. Once they released each others lips, they refused to break apart their embrace. They didn't want to waste anymore time apart since they had already wasted so much time they could've spent loving each other.

"I never want to live without you again."

She pecked his lips and smiled. "You won't have to."

And she meant it this time. There will be heartache, good moments, and struggles that they will go through, but that is something they were willing to accept. As long as they stayed together, everything made sense.

Their love was all they needed to feel whole.

**Author's Note:**

> El Fin! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Can't wait to see season 2! I'll definitely write about the beauty and the beast season cuz I already know that's gonna be amazing!
> 
> Alright bye for now!


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